Staff Mechanical Engineer
As the largest global shared micromobility business, Lime is on a mission to build a future where transportation is shared, affordable and carbon-free. A Time Magazine 100 Most Influential Company, Lime has powered more than one billion rides in close to 30 countries across five continents, spurring a new generation of clean alternatives to car ownership. Learn more at li.me.
Lime is hiring a Staff Mechanical Engineer to join our China Hardware team, based out of our Kunshan office. In this role, you will be a critical technical leader driving the development of the next generation of lightweight electric vehicles and micromobility infrastructure. This position requires a unique blend of hands-on, in-house product design excellence and strategic engineering oversight over our Joint Development Manufacturing (JDM) and ODM partners. You will act as a technical expert in China, executing complex in-house designs with EE, Powertrain, and System Engineering teams, while concurrently driving ODM and JDM teams to successful delivery.
This is an onsite position that requires onsite presence at our Kunshan office to maintain effective collaboration across teams.
What You'll Do:
Hybrid Product Development: Own the mechanical architecture and detailed design of critical vehicle subsystems, executing high-complexity design work in-house while seamlessly managing co-development scopes with JDM partners.
Innovation through CAD & Prototyping: Create elegant, detailed 3D CAD models and 2D engineering drawings (utilizing GD&T best practices). Actively build and validate prototypes in our local lab using hands-on fabrication tools.
JDM Technical Direction (Joint Development Model): Translate global product requirements into definitive ERD (Engineering Requirements Documents), drive strong partner collaboration, and audit CAD, drawings, FEA simulations, and DFMEAs generated by engineering partner teams.
Validation & Testing: Devise and execute rigorous in-house test plans to validate new concepts. Concurrently, audit external partner test setups and data to guarantee all JDM deliverables meet Lime’s strict reliability and safety metrics.
Hands-On Problem Solving: Lead deep-dive root-cause investigations for complex mechanical, manufacturing, or reliability failures discovered during development, during localized engineering builds or found in field operations.
Cross-Functional & Global Alignment: Serve as leading technical bridge between the US-based design teams and China-based operations, supply chain, and JDM engineering resources to ensure flawless program velocity.
Documentation & PLM Ownership: Release and manage robust technical documentation within Lime's Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system, enforcing high documentation standards for both internal work and JDM outputs.
About You:
BSc/MSc in Mechanical Engineering (or similar), or equivalent experience.
12+ years of work experience in mechanical design and engineering, with a proven portfolio of products taken from concept to mass production.
Balanced Development Experience: Demonstrated success operating in a hybrid model—capable of executing deep, independent in-house design work while simultaneously managing and auditing external JDM/ODM engineering partners.
Technical Authority & Negotiation: Strong engineering intuition with the ability to provide rigorous technical pushback to JDM vendors, effectively negotiating design-for-manufacturing (DFM) trade-offs without compromising product integrity.
High proficiency in 3D CAD software (SolidWorks preferred), tolerance analysis, and designing parts for high-volume manufacturing processes (injection molding, die casting, stamping, forging).
Global Communication Skills: Exceptional written and spoken English and Mandarin are required. Ability to present complex technical status and risk assessments clearly to global executive teams.
Comfortable in a fast-paced hardware environment; able to navigate ambiguity and make data-driven decisions under tight timelines.
Deeply collaborative, proactive, and passionate about the future of sustainable micromobility.
Preferred Experience:
Experience in the electric vehicle, automotive, micromobility, or high-volume consumer electronics industries.
Advanced skillset in localized supplier management within China and Southeast Asia.
Skilled at independent CEA simulation – examples: multi-part, bolted joint analysis, thermal simulation, etc
Expertise in design for reliability and lifecycle optimization for products exposed to harsh outdoor environments.
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If you want to make an impact, Lime is the place for you. Not sure if you meet all the qualifications? If this role excites you we encourage you to apply. Explore all opportunities on our career page.
Lime is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe different perspectives help us grow and achieve more. That’s why we’re dedicated to building and developing a team that reflects a wider range of backgrounds, abilities, identities, and experiences. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process, please email recruiting-operations@li.me for assistance.